While fans of the comic book “Elektra” may be gleeful the movie adaption is Ben Affleck-free, they still may be disappointed with the final results.

The movie, based on a popular Marvel comic and a spinoff from the moderately successful “Daredevil”, plods along with a story overwhelming its lead actor’s abilities.

While Jennifer Garner’s smile lights up the screen, Elektra’s deep and dark plot hardly lets her. Elektra Natchios, a premiere assassin who died once before, is paradoxically a living ghost, and a deadly one at that.

At the same time, she’s haunted by her mother’s death years and a bad childhood, (if you count what can be pieced together from “Daredevil” and the single scene we see from Elektra’s childhood with her father).

At present, Elektra is hired to axe Mark and Abby Miller, father and daughter duo trying to escape an evil organization called The Hand. Elektra questions her profession and protects the family, bonding with the motherless Abby who is similar to herself.

The film’s action sequences are dazzling and brutal with a wonderful blend of fantasy and reality. Garner is believable as an action star, something few women can pull off but are thankfully given more chances to do today. Granted, she’s thrown in curve-complementary skin-tight clothing, but Garner’s figure isn’t the focal point of the film.

With the recipe of Garner’s wicked fighting skills and Elektra’s fighting talents lauded over her sexuality, “Elektra” had potential. Key word: had.

The reason the film is flawed is Garner’s acting is sub-par – a character with such a laundry list of emotional baggage and physical strength would be an actress’ dream, but Garner looked more confused than brooding. Her pouting may have made me wonder where she bought her lipstick and where I could find it, but her lips only get her so far and probably at their best in a lesbian-kiss scene.

Newcomer Kristen Prout, as the troubled Abby Miller, is a young actress to watch for in the future and not only performed with decent acting chops, but kicked butt as well.

Garner isn’t completely to blame for Elektra’s flaw. The mystery regarding why the Millers are targeted for murder and the twist of exactly who The Hand, the crime organization, is chasing after evoked a yawn and an eye roll, in that order.

SPOILER ALERT: Audiences will figure out early on in the movie it was Abby, not Elektra, who was the warrior who would “tip the balance in the fight of good and evil,” as presented in the opening of the film and treasure the Hand that’s so desperately wanted. Plus, the revelation that Elektra’s path as an assassin is a setup for her to discover the purity in her heart was an unnecessary, grandiose plot point that cheapens her as a character.

Props to Hollywood for making a super-hero movie flattering the female lead, but can we find the right female to play her part?